Hem for sewed articles and method of making the same



June 17, 1930. J. R. MOFFATT 1,764,348

HEM FOR SEWED ARTICLES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Q- 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l I June 17, 1930. J. R. MOFFATT ,7

HEM FOR SEWED ARTICLES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME ile ec. 21; 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATS Aren't OFFICE JAMES R. MOFFATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS HEM FOR SEWEDVARTIGLES Ann METHOD or MAKING THE SAME Application filed December 2 1, 1925. Serial No. 76,705.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in hems for sewed articles, and the method of making the same, and more particularly to a hem which is formed in a knit fabric.

An object of the invention is to provide a hem for sewed articles wherein the finished article is free from all objectionable exposed edges, and the stitches which join the hem to the body portion of the fabric are concealed from the front face of the fabric.

, Another object of the invention-is to provide a method of making the hem for sewed articles, wherein the body fabric is provided with a hem with the edge thereof inturned in advance of the stitching so that thebody fabric and the inturned edge of the hem fold may be united by stitches which are concealed from the front face of the fabric.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional view showingmore or less diagrammatically, the fabric as initially folded and presented to the trimming mechanism for trimming the edge thereof;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the edge as trimmed and the body fabric at the fold therein lifted slightly preparatory to the inturning of the edge of the hem fold;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but showing the body fabric lifted to slightly greater extent and the beginning of the inturning of the edge of the hem fold;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the inturned edge of the hem fold as placed beneath the lifted portion of the body fabric;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but showing the parts as returned to normal position with the inturned edge of the hem fold beneath the fold in the body fabric, also showing the edge guide for the parts-to be stitched and the needle passing through the fabric in full lines and over the edge of the fabric in dotted lines;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the steps in my improved method of formmg the hem fold for sewed articles;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the fabric parts as stitched and turned to then normal finished position;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 6, and

' Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 99 of Fig. 7.

The invention is directed broadly to a hem for sewed articles, and more particularly to a hemformed in a knitted fabric where it is desired to conceal the stitches forming the hem. The invention is particularly adapted for forming the hem at the top of a stocking or the like, often referred to as a welt.

The finished article is shown in Figures 7 and 9, and consists of a body fabric 1 having a hem fold 2. The edge of the hem fold is inturned. The inturned edge of the hem fold is secured to the body fabric by stitches. These stitches are concealed from the right face of the fabric, and this is accomplished by passing the needle into and out of the body fabricon the same face thereof, without passing said needle through to the right side of the fabric. It is possible that the hem fold embodying my invention will be better understood by a detail description of the method of making the same.

The body fabric 1 is folded back upon itself at 5 to form the hem fold 2. The hem fold 2 is folded at 6 in the usual manner. The free edge 7 of this hem fold is presented to a trimming mechanism, the trimming blades ofwhich are indicated at 8 in Figures 1 and 2 of the'drawings. These trimming blades sever the fabric at 9, thus making a clean cut edge ready for inturning, which edge is substantially free from raveling. tion at the fold 5 therein is raised from the lower layer 10 of the hem fold 2. This is accomplished by suitable guiding devices which are located in advance of the stitching mechanism of a sewing machine. The trimmed edgeof the layer 10 is turned upwardly so as to form an inturned edge 11. This.

inturned edge is placed beneath the lifted portion of the body fabric as clearly indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. After the inturned portion has been placed beneath this lifted portion of the body fabric, then the body fabric is returned to normal position as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The parts thus positioned are directed alongside The body porof a finger 12 and presented to a stitching mechanism which includes a needle 13. The

needle 13 is reciprocated so as to pass through the body fabric at the fold therein, and through the inturned portion of the hem fold. As clearly shown in Fig. 8, the needle passes through the body fabric in the line m-w, thus passing a thread into the body fabric and out of the body fabric on the same face thereof. The needle does not pass through to the right face of the fabric, and therefore, the threads are concealed from view on the right face of the fabric when the hem fold is folded to normal position in the completed article as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The needle on its next vibration passes over the edge of the fabric as shown in Fig. 5. On the descent of the needle through the fabric, a loop of thread 14 is laid through the fabric, and on the descent of the needle over the edge of the fabric, a loop 15 is laid against the outer edges of the folds in the body fabric and the fold in the inturned portion of the hem fold. These loops, of'course, are concatenated in the usual way, and have only been shown dia grammatically in Figures 6, Sand 9 of the drawings. While the body fabric is shown in Fig. 9 as having more or less of a shoulder at the point Where the hem fold is stitched thereto, it will be understood, of course, that the fabric, when pressed, will be free from any projecting ribs or shoulders, and will also be free from any grinning stitches on the right face of the fabric. This vibration of the needle first into the edge of the hem fold and then over the edge thereof, produces a zigzag stitch, which iswell known to have greater elasticity'than a straightline of stitching. This is of great advantage'in a hem fold on knit goods, as it permits the stitched hem to have considerable elasticity without breaking the thread.

The essential features of my'1mproved method consist in the progressive trimming of the edge of the hem fold; the progressive lifting of the body fabric at the fold formed thereih when the hem fold is laid, and the progressive-inturning of the edge of the hem fold beneath the lifted. portion of the body fabric; then the returning of the l1fted portion of the body fabric to its normal position, and the stitching of the parts together as thus folded. Theessential feature of the article consists in the folding of the fabric so as to provide a hem fold with an inturned edge, and the passing of the stitches through the bod T fabric so as to be concealed from the front of the body fabric, and through the inturned portion of the hem fold. This inturning of the hem fold conceals the raw edge of the fabric, and also provides an edge here the stitching threads can be placed very close to the edge without pulling out. W'liiie it is not essential that the stitches should be entirely hidden from view at the inner face of the inturned hem fold, it is es sential that these stitches should be well anchored in the hem fold, and this can be accomplished by passing the stitches into and out of the fabric on the same face thereof as they are anchored the hem fold. It will be clearly apparent from Fig. 8 of the drawings, that the needle which passes through the fabric, passes into and out of the body fabric on the same face thereof, and also into and out of the hem fold on the same face thereof. Furthermore, these stitches as they go through the body fabric are so embedded in the body fabric as to be concealed from view on the right face thereof. I prefer to use a stitching mechanism having a vibrated needle so as to lay a portion of the needle threadloops over the edge of the united parts of the fabric. Itis understood, however, that the stitchesmight be entirely embeddedin the fabricwithout any overedge stitches, or other types of overedge stitches may be used in carrying out the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The method of forming a hem in a body fabric comprising folding the body fabric backupon itself to form a hem, progressively lifting the body fabric and a portion of the hem connected thereto, progressively inturning the edge of the hem portion and laying the same beneaththe lifted portions, returning said lifted portions to normal position, and stitching the body fabric at the fold therein to said inturned portion of the hem. 2,. The method of forming a hem in a body fabric, comprising folding the body fabric back upon itself to form a hem with the edge portions of the body fabricprojecting beyond the fold in the fabric, trimming said projecting edge portions at a distance from the fold, iii-turning the trimmed edge portion of the body fabric as it is trimmed and laying the same beneath the fold in the body fabric, stitching the fabric to the fold in the edge portion formed by the inturning of the same.

3. The method of forming a hem in a body fabric, comprising folding the body fabric back upon itself to form a hem with the edge portion projecting beyond the fold in the body fabric, trimming the projecting edge portion at a distance from the fold in the body fabric, progressively lifting the body fabric and the portion of the hem connected thereto at the fold, progressively inturning the trimmed edge portion of the body fabric and laying the same beneath the lifted portion. returning said lifted portion to normal.

position, and stitching the body fabric at the fold therein to said inturned portion of the hem.

in testimony whereof, I my signature.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. 

